10 Ways To Get Happy: Instantly Finding Happiness

Happiness is not a destination, its a way you walk through. Many people are finding happiness into the money, but money can’t buy happiness. Then how to be happy? Being happy may just be the single mostimportant thing you can do for your health, making it just as necessaryas diet and physical activity.

Happy people don’t sit around waiting for good vibes to happen to them.Whatever makes them happy, they go for it, said Sonja Lyubomirsky, a psychology professor at the University of California, Riverside and author of “The Myth of Happiness.”

“Happy people don’t sit around,” Lyubomirsky said. “They strive for something personally meaningful, whether it’s learning a new language, retraining in their careers or raising good kids. Find a happy person, and you will find a project.”

Editors Note: Follow Nashas’s Happy Project to explore what happiness means today, dive deep into the different ways we pursue it and find some tools to help make your life better. Come join us and #gethappy & #nashas!Recommended:

“Here is 10 Ways to Get Happy Instantly or maybe forever“

1. Take charge of your own development

No one cares about this more than you. Today’s careers are all about moving from one role to another, gathering experiences for your portfolio along the way. Lateral moves and stretch assignments are more important than following a straight line up. Don’t be afraid to raise your hand and ask for something more.

2. Avoid negativity

Making the decision to be happy at work means avoiding gossip, negativeconversations and the unhappy people you can’t change. No matter howpositive you might be personally, negative people can have an impact onhow you feel. They tend to suck up all the oxygen in the air, leavingyou out of breath and frustrated.

3. Focus on the positive

Even though you might not love your job, there is always some aspect of itthat you do like. Find that nugget and focus on it, along with ways toincorporate it into other aspects of your day.Recommended:

4. Check Out Buddhism

I’m not religious at all. I guess I would be considered an atheist. Butwhenever I encounter Buddhism I think, now this is a religion I couldget down with. I recently bought this beautiful little book called TrueLove: A Practice for Awakening the Heart and each time I pick it up andread, I find it totally enlightening. It makes me want to delve deeperinto Buddhism. I love the idea of incorporating mantras and mindfulnessinto my life. I think these monks are on to something.

5. Focus on time, not money

Although people typically focus on money, marketing professor Cassie Mogilner has found that that focusing on time oftenhelps people realize that time is a precious resource. That knowledgehelps them be more deliberate in how they spend it. “This leads peopleto spend their time in ways that are more fulfilling and that make themhappier, like connecting with the people in their lives,” said Mogilner, an assistant professor of marketing at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.

6. Write a Love Letter

Love breeds happiness. Make Valentines come earlyfor that special someone. Do it the old fashioned way, get somestationary, pour your heart out in perfect penmanship and mail that baby off. Just knowing that the note will arrive in your beloveds mailbox in 2-3 days will set your own heart -a- flutter.

7. Embrace failure

Failing is way to learn what doesn’t work before we learn what does work. People who succeed often fail many times before theysucceed. “Success requires acquiring experiences and learning lessons,”Bono said. “Very often, the best way, and sometimes the only way, toacquire that experience and learn those lessons is through failure:trying things one way, realizing what doesn’t work and then making theappropriate changes.”Recommended:

8. Get spiritual

There’s plenty of research showing that people whoparticipate in their local church, synagogue, mosque or other preferredspiritual community are happier. Even reading spiritual literature canbe helpful. Not religious? There are ethical societies and movementsthat get people thinking beyond themselves

9. Paint Something

Finding time to make art (that’s not of the finger paint variety) is next to impossible. This weekend when you have some free time, drop everything. Let the dishes go un-washed, leave the toys where they are. Take out some art supplies. My favorites are water colors. Find an image, maybe one of your baby, and paint it. Then as soon as that sucker is dry, hang it up. You will feel so proud each time you walk by your new work of art. Hey, and if you’re not a painter make a crazy collage or graphic image on the computer. But bottom line is DO IT!

10. Practice kindness

Do something nice for someone else, whether it’s someone youknow or a stranger. It can be spur of the moment or planned out. You can do the good deed anonymously or help the beneficiary directly, saidLyubomirsky.

A Bonus Tip to find happiness:

Email an Old Friend- You know that friend you haven’t spoken to in years. There’s really no reason you don’t talk any more other than you live in different cities and have just gone your own ways. Maybe she, or he, was your bestie in high school or college. Reach out and give her an update on your life and find out what she’s up to. You don’t need to make plans or say why you haven’t kept in touch. Just say hi and tell her some news. It’s like a happy two for one!

If it makes you happy to share, please let us know the ways you used these tools on social media using the #gethappy hashtag.

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